When Communism came to an end in Russia and free enterprise reigned supreme, the country was flooded with casino and gambling operations, many less than scrupulous. But that changed in 2006 when President Vladimir Putin ordered these operations shut down in lieu of four government-sanctioned casinos spread across Russia. To date online gambling is something of a gray area.
List of 145 Russian Online Casinos
| Supported Languages | Russian |
| Currencies | Rouble (RUB) |
| Preferred Payment Methods | Moneta |
Gambling In Russia
Russia had a long and rich gambling heritage stretching back to the time of Tsar Peter the Great in the 17th century, who personally commissioned the country's first lottery. However, Russia's Communist regime ended all of that, and mainstream gambling was all but dormant until Glasnost in the late 1980s, and the resulting free enterprise that saw casinos and gambling operations spring up like wildfire, particularly in the larger Russian cities, including Moscow.
But towards the end of 2006, Russian President Vladimir Putin put an end to this 'gambling chaos' by ordering these operations to shut down in lieu of four government-sanctioned casinos in European Russia, Siberia and the Far East respectively. And while land casino gambling has now been localized and regulated, licensed sports betting is still widespread and very popular across Russia.
Online Gambling In Russia
As is the case in many European countries, online gambling in Russia is still a gray area. The Russian government has not yet passed laws to legalize and regulate online gambling, but neither has it outlawed the popular internet activity. This means Russian gamblers who want to gamble online must do so at online casinos and other online gambling sites licensed and regulated outside Russia.
The good news is that because of this, many of the world's leading online casinos accept players from Russia, many of which even offer Russian versions. Plus, most good casinos cater to these players by accepting safe, reliable and Russian-friendly payment options such as Webmoney, Moneta and Ecocard.